Feeding mechanism for sewing machines



March 12, w A, ANDRES ET AL 2,193,754

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June 17, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 williwm uzflndres Edawin (J-Johnson Wifwefm G u/MA;

March 12, 1940.

A ANDRES ET'AL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June 17, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 2 w ijliarn u zflndres a John son .HQHW MN M Edwin ll 7 March 12, 1940. w A RE AL 2,193,754

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Fi1 ed June 17, 1938 3 Shets-She at 3 william v9. :flndres Edwin ll). Johman/ Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES William A. Andres, Bridgeport, and Edwin W. Johnson, Trumbull, Conn, assignore to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 17, 1938, Serial No. 214,180-

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in feeding mechanisms for sewing machines and more particularly to feeding mechanisms wherein the feed-wheel may be continuously or intermittently 6 rotated for advancing the work past the stitchforming mechanism.

An object 'of the present invention is to provide an improved feed-wheel actuating mechanism including simple means adapted to run smoothly and efficiently at high speed. A further Object of the invention is the provision of a highspeed wheel-feed mechanism equipped with means, readily accessible to an operator, for changing the speed of rotation of the feed-wheel relative to the speed of rotation of the main-shaft of the machine, thereby to vary the stitch-length.

Further advantages and beneficial results in operation will be apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of my invention'talren in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in sectiomof a sewing machine embodying the present improvement.

Fig. 2 is a bottom-plan view illustrating clearly the gear connections between the loop-taker actuating shaft and the feed-wheel.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation of the bedportion of the machine showing the feed-wheel so supporting bracket and the mechanism carried thereby.

- Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 6 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantlally on line 5-5, Fig. 2, illustrating the hanger in which is journaled the transverse connecting shaft.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-8, Fig. 3.

4g Fig. 'l is an enlarged vertical section taken arm 8 which terminates in a head overhanging the bed i. Journaled for rotation in suitable bearings provided in the bracket-arm 3 is a main-actuating shaft 5 of the machine, which 55 shaft at its outer end carries a belt-pulley B and at its inner end carries a crank-disk 'l. The crank-disk I is provided with a crank-pin 8 connected by means of a link 8 with the lateral pin of a collar l0 clamped upon the needle-bar H, whereby endwise reciprocatory movements are 5 imparted to said needle-bar upon rotation of the mainshaft 5. At its lower end the needle-bar H carries a needle l2. Disposed adjacent the needle I2 is a conventional roller-presser it.

The needle-bar H is journaled for endwise re- 10 ciprocation in alined bearings provided in the spaced lugs 83 and it of the vibratory-frame l5 pivotally supported at its upper end upon a pin it fixed in the head 3, whereby the frame i5 is confined to swinging movements in a vertical glane transverse to the length of the main-shaft To impart work-feeding movements to the needle, the vibratory frame it is operatively connected with a crank-arm ii on one end of a hori- 20 aontally disposed rock-shaft iii journaled in the bracket-arm 3 below and in substantially parallel relationship with the main-shaft It. Clampecl upon the other end of the rock-shaft it is a rockarm it, the free end of which is connected by a pitman 231 to a second rock-arm it freely journaled on the stub-shaft 22 fixed in the lug 23 depending from the bed i of the machine. The second rock-arm 2%! is oscillated on the stub-shaft 22 through a pitznan 2t actuated by an adjustable eccentric .25 upon the main-shaft 5. The described connections for shifting the needle-vibratory-frame are made adjustable so that the feeding movement imparted thereto may be made to correspond 'in amplitude to the feeding move- 35 merits of the feed-wheel later to be described.

As will be observed more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2, the main-actuating shaft 5 drives, through a clip-belt 26, a loop-taker actuating shaft 27 journaled in bearings below the bed 8. At its to opposite end, the shaft 2? carries a gear 28 in mesh with a gear 2% of one-half the size of the gear 28 and carried by the lower end of a looptaker shaft 39 journaled for rotation in vertically alined bearing apertures provided in a loop-taker d5 supporting bracket at which is secured, for adjustment transversely of the direction of feed, beneath the bed i. Fixed to the upper end of the shaft 30 is any suitable or well known vertical-axis loop-taker 32 for cooperation with the needle 02 in the formation of lock-stitches.

Referring now more particularly to the present improved feeding mechanism, it will be observed in Fig. 2 that the loop-taker actuating shaft 2! is Journaled in an elongated bushing 33 fixed in the lug 34 depending from the bed I. On the opposite side of the bed there is arranged, in parallel relation to the loop-taker shaft 21, a feed-actuating shaft 35 Journaled also in an elongated bushing 36 fixed in the lug 31 formed integral with the bed i. Secured upon the extended ends of the bushings 33 and 36 is the hanger 38 which is held against movement endwise of the bushings by set-screws 39. Journaled in spaced lugs 40 formed upon the hanger 38 is a transverse shaft 4| which is driven through the worm 42 and worm-gear 43 from the loop-taker actuating shaft 21. The motion of the transverse shaft is imparted to the feed-actuating shaft 35 by worm 44 and worm-gear 45.

Pivotally mounted preferably upon the opposite end of the bushing 38 is a suitably formed supporting bracket 48 which may be adjusted, about the axis of the feed-actuating shaft R, by means of the screw 4! supported by the bed T, the

purpose of this construction being to permit ad-' Justment of the level of the feed-wheel to facilitate the handling of materials of various thicknesses. The supporting bracket 48 has Journaled therein an intermediate shaft 48 and a stubshait 49, the latter shaft supporting at one end a feed-wheel 50 having the usual serrated periphery. The intermediate shaft 48 has fixed upon its inner end a spur-gear 5| in mesh with the spur-gear 52 fixed upon the outer end of the feed-actuating shaft 35. At its outer end, the intermediate shaft 48 carries pinions 53, I4 and 55 of different sizes and constantly in mesh; respectively, with different size spur-gears 56, 51 and 58 which may be selectively keyed to the stub-shaft 49.

It will be observed from Fig. '7 that the spurgears 58, 5? and 58 are freely journaled upon the stub-shaft d9 andare spaced from each other by washers 58, the gears and washers being held against movement endwise of the stub-shaft 48 by a split collar 60 suitably clamped upon the stub-shaft. The means employed for keying any one of the spur-gears to the stub-shaft 49 comprises a shiftable key 6i adapted to track the longitudinal slot 62 in the stub-shaft 49, the key having a nose 68 adapted to enter any one of notches 64 in the shaft apertures of the spurgears. The key 6! is acted upon by a spring 65 to urge the key-nose 63 into the notches, the washers 59 serving to disengage the key-nose from one gear notch before entering another gear notch, when the key BI is shifted lengthwise of the slot 62. For conveniently shifting the key 6!, there is provided a knurled shift-ring 66 slidably disposed upon the stub-shaft 49, the shift-ring carrying a stud-screw B7 of which the reduced end enters a suitable slot in the key. To guard against the inadvertent withdrawal of the key 6! from the shaft-slot 62, a pin 88 is disposed near the outer end of the shaft-slot. It will be understood from the above description that while the spur-gears 56, 51 and 58 of the change-speed gearing are rotated continuously during the operation of the machine, the stub-shaft 49 will be rotated at a speed corresponding to the speed of rotation of the particular spur-gear which has been selectively coupled to the stub-shaft 49 by the key 8|, the spur-gear coupled giving the required stitch length.

From Figs. 2 and 6 it will be seen that the supporting bracket 46 is designed to afford a housing for the pinions and spur-gears by being provided with a lateral flange 89 constituting a support for the cover-plate HI secured by the screws H upon the flange. The feed-wheel 50 projects through and slightly above the usual slot in a throat-plate I2, Figs. 3 and 4, secured by screws 13 upon the bed I, so as to engage and feed the work W held in contact with the periphery of the feed-wheel by the presser-member If.

It will be understood from the accompanying drawings and detailed description that, during the operation of the machine, the feed-wheel 50 is continuously rotated and that work-feeding movements are imparted to the needle I! in suitably timed relation with the speed of rotation of the feed-wheel upon adjustment of the needlevibrating eccentric 25 in accordance with the speed of rotation of the feed-wheel, which may be selectively determined by shifting the gearkey of the change-speed gearing.

While in the present disclosure we illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment illustrated, as various other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is:

1. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-actuating shaft, means including a driven transverse shaft for rotating said first named shaft, 8. feed-wheel, a stub-shaft supporting said feed-wheel, and means connecting said stub-shaft with said feed-actuating shaft including change speed gearing comprising constantly intermeshing driving and driven gears, and means for selectively establishing driving relationship between said years.

2. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-actuating shaft, means for rotating saidshaft, a feed-wheel, a stub-shaft upon which said feed-wheel is mounted, an intermediate shaft operatively connected at one end to said feed-actuating shaft and at its other end to said stub-shaft, and a supporting bracket mounted for swinging movement about the axis of the feed-actuating shaft, said supporting bracket having journaled therein the stub-shaft and the intermediate shaft.

3. In a sewing machine having a reciprocatory needle and a cooperating loop-taker, a bed, a plurality of bushings supported by said bed, a loop-taker actuating shaft Journaled in one of said bushings, a feed-actuating shaft Journaled in another of said bushings, a hanger supported by said bushings, and means carried by said hanger for operatively connecting said feed-actuating shaft with said loop-taker actuating shaft.

4. In a sewing machine having a reciprocating needle and a cooperating loop-taker, a bed, a plurality of bushings supported by said bed, a loop-taker actuating shaft iournaled in one of said bushings, a feed-actuating shaft journaled in another of said bushings, a hanger supported by said bushings, and a shaft Journaled in said hanger and operatively connecting said feedactuating shaft with said loop-taker actuating shaft.

5. In a feeding mechanism for sewing machines having a loop-taker actuating shaft, 9. feed-wheel, a stub-shaft supporting said feedwheel, a feed-actuating shaft, an intermediate shaft operatively connecting said stub-shaft with said feed-actuating shaft, and means for transmitting motion to said feed-actuating shaft including a transverse shaft driven from said loop-taker actuating shaft.

6. In a sewing machine, a bed having a loop- .taker actuating shaft journaled therein, a recibar journaled upon said bracket-arm, means for imparting endwise reciprocatory and lateral work-feeding movements to said needle-bar, a loop-taker cooperating with the needle in the formation of stitches, a work-advancing feedwheel, a stub-shaft supporting said feed-wheel, a feed-actuating shaft, an intermediate shaft operatively connecting said stub-shaft with said feed-actuating shaft, and means for transmitting motion to said feed-actuating shaft including a transverse shaft driven from said looptaker actuating shaft.'

8. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-actuating shaft, means for imparting movement to said feed-actuating shaft, a feed-wheel, a shaft supporting said feedwheel, and an intermediate shaft operatively connected at one end to the feed-actuating shaft.

and at its other end connected through change speed gearing to the shaft supporting said feedwheel, the axis of the intermediate shaft being arranged parallel to the axis of the feed-actuating shaft. l

9. A feeding mechanism for sewing machines comprising a feed-actuating shaft, means for imparting motion to said shaft, 9, feed-wheel, a shaft supporting said feed-wheel and arranged substantially parallel to said feed-actuating shaft, and an intermediate shaft operatively connected at one end to the feed-actuating shaft and at its other end to the shaft supporting said feed-wheel, the axis of the intermediate shaft being arranged substantially parallel to and'disposed between the axes of the feed-actuating shaft and the shaft supporting said feed-wheel. 2:;

WILLIAM A. ANDRES. EDWIN w. JOHNSON. 

